Retired infantry officer. Conservative by nature and politics; Happily married and father and grandfather of eight. Loves V8 powered Range Rovers, Golden Retrievers, good books and technology and think there should be open season on Greenies.
Born in the mid forties and overdue for servicing but most parts still work.
I noticed an item on the news last night about a horse called Septimus running in today’s Melbourne Cup. That’ll do me I thought, Septimus, latin for seven, could reflect my Vietnam alma mater (7RAR) and I recalled, in a painful flashback, the first army mascot I met was a Shetland Pony called Septimus at 1 RAR at Holsworthy.
The painful flashback refers to a moment in my youth when as a very young soldier I was blissfully sleeping off the effects of a night at the Railway Hotel, Liverpool, when pain in my right foot permeated though the fog. Septimus had got out of his coral, wandered though the lines and settled on investigating the hut I was sleeping in. He had a nasty habit of doing this (so I was told) and latching onto any unclad foot poking out from under the blankets.
He got me and from then on we had a stand off type of relationship.
Septimus had cause to go about inflicting pain on diggers, I might add, as we gave him some. He lived in a coral and paddock situated between the lines and the canteen in an area equal to that used to accommodate 1400 soldiers, and many a drunk soldier would take it upon himself to get some use out of the useless critter and ride him. Septimus was less than happy about being kicked in the guts and mounted at 2230hrs while a mob of drunken diggers, acting like at a rodeo, wooped it up and competed to see who could last the seven seconds. I don’t think any did but I do recall being on guard and having to drive a guy to hospital with a broken leg.
Pig trotting bastard, he said. Wiped me off on the fence!
When I went to the TAB to place my annual patriotic contribution to alleviate the poverty of the racing industry I was disappointed to see Septimus was favourite. Never was when I first met him, I thought, but I still had $5.00 each way and on the spot decided to back C’est La Guerre for the same money just in case Septimus can still inflict pain.
What else would an old soldier do?
On such science do I part with my money. My wife took half the field for a dollar each way and I just dread tonight – she may well bring home more money than me.
She usually does.
Update: She did this time too. She had Viewed for a dollar each way and I had C’est La Guerre for $5.00. $47.00 to her and $40.00 to me.
The last of the great punters, the pair of us.
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Rudd is quoted in the
Weekend Australian (25/10) saying in a conversation with President Bush Rudd raised the question of the G20 and Bush replied G20 – what’s that? The call came though at a dinner Rudd was holding when he was called away to talk to Bush. He came back to the dinner and seemingly big noted himself to the dinner guests.
This would suggest Bush is stupid and that would suit the dinner guests and supporters who still think Rudd is competent enough to handle the position of Prime Minister and that world leaders just hang about waiting for his wise words.
The rest of us smelt a rat and questions have been asked by the blogging community. The media, still on a honeymoon and reluctant to point out their bride looks ugly in the cold light of dawn, have been predictably silent about the matter.
The US have made it plain that Bush is well aware of G20 and that puts ex diplomat Rudd in a quandary. How to backup….I know, he thinks, I’ll attack the libs for once suggesting al-Qaeda would welcome Obama as President and defuse the issue.
Doesn’t work. al-Qaeda
are on record as preferring Obama as President in that they want Bush and the Republicans humiliated, but the question remains unanswered. If Rudd didn’t say what the
Australian says he did, and remember the editor-in-chief of the Australian was at the dinner, then why has he let the matter fester for a week without clarification?
Because it suits him and his idea of what a statesman is. The article in the
Weekend Australian portrayed Rudd as advising and convincing Bush to take a certain course in the attempts to calm the financial markets. It suggested a wise and knowing statesman was advising and setting straight a stupid republican president on how to handle a problem.
The truth is more likely that world leaders now sees Rudd as blabber mouth, not to be confided in, as anything said in conversation could end up on the front page of the local newspapers in a manner that reflects well on Rudd and poorly on the guy at the other end. At least that’s what the
London Times report (London Times link from Andrew Bolt
Ex diplomat…very ex!
Ex Prime Minister….soon…please…before our name is mud.
This weekend the Royal Australian Air Force will celebrate fifty years of outstanding achievements by its enduring ‘work horse’ – the C-130 Hercules aircraft.
I flew on all variants from the old A model in 1964 through to the J model in the mid 80s and appreciated their capabilities. I spent some time as Unit Emplaning officer of 1RAR in the ODF in Townsville and was forced by appointment to become precisely knowledgeable of their capability to manage the deployment of a Battalion group on Ex Swift Eagle. They have been a great asset to the military and will be for some to come.
Chief of Air Force, Air Marshal Mark Binskin says;
Various models of Hercules aircraft have been the backbone of many of the Australian Defence Force’s most important operations during the past 50 years. The Hercules have provided combat air lift capability, including tactical transport of troops and cargo as well as special forces insertion, parachuting and air drops.
In marking 50 years of C-130 service, we recognise the dedication of the thousands of air crew, ground and support personnel and contractors who have worked hard to fly and maintain the Hercules in Australia and in deployed locations around the world.
In recent years, our C-130 Hercules have seen more active duty than any other aircraft in the RAAF.This service has been widely appreciated across the ADF. Today three RAAF Hercules are based in the Middle East, and continue to provide vital air lift support to Australian and Coalition forces.
Some of the more memorable achievements include service during the Vietnam War, the emergency response to Cyclone Tracy, the Katherine floods, the Boxing Day tsunami and the Bali bombings.
The C-130 fleet ran regular services to Vietnam during that war and most importantly conducted medevacs of ill and wounded service personnel. They were also tasked with refugee relief at the end of the conflict.
In 2005, the C-130s delivered humanitarian assistance to the hundreds of thousands of people affected by the Boxing Day tsunami and they brought home the Australians injured in the Bali bombings in 2002.
The C-130 Hercules began service with the RAAF in 1958, with the arrival of twelve C-130 A models. The success of this acquisition was followed in 1966 with twelve C-130 E models.
Twelve C-130 H models arrived in 1978 to replace the 20 year old A model and the latest version; the C-130 J model arrived to replace the E model in 1999.
RAAF currently has a fleet of 24 C-130s, comprising J and H models. While the C-130 has undergone several modifications over the past 50 years, its fuselage shape has largely remained unchanged.
The 50th anniversary celebrations include a flypast of Sydney, and a reunion at RAAF Richmond
Pictured is a C130J.
Andrew Bolt has an interesting post on Rudd and his ego being caught out in telling out and out lies. A good read and gives pause to wonder about just how inept Rudd is.
I have linked here for those readers who may not normally visit Andrew Bolt’s site.
Go read and worry.
DEFENCE Minister
Joel Fitzgibbon has accused the former Howard Government of perpetrating a cruel hoax on veteran organisations which were offered free Leopard tanks, now likely to cost thousands of dollars.
No, the Howard government offered to
‘gift’ Leopard tanks – it’s you who have decided to charge for them.
“De-commissioned Leopard tanks will soon be available for gifting to veteran and historical organisations across Australia as part of the Howard Government’s acquisition of the new Abrams tanks,” then-defence minister Brendan Nelson said in a statement in September last year.
Fitzgibbon spins faster;
“However, it must be done in a fiscally responsible fashion and the organisations involved must be fully aware of the facts that the now opposition deliberately failed to inform them of,” he said.
The organizations were already fully aware of the facts – It is you who have changed them. Why don’t you just say that organizations that would want a tank outside their buildings are not the type of people you would choose to associate with and if they want the tanks they will bloody pay for them.
It’s got nothing to do with the Howard government. If you change a promise made by Howard government, as is your right, then just say so.
KEVIN Rudd has emerged from the days of the financial crisis as popular as he ever was and has overtaken Malcolm Turnbull on economic management.
The Government’s $10.4 billion emergency economic boost and the guarantee for all bank deposits has been enthusiastically endorsed.
Endorsed, I presume, by people happy with short term solutions. As in “He’s a good manager because he’s giving me a thousand per kid for zip” or pensioner couples getting a “couple of grand for Christmas”
As I understand it, the guarantee for all bank deposits has occasioned a run on all non bank deposits that self funded retirees use to live on. As a consequence of this several non bank investment houses have frozen their assets to prevent people withdrawing their funds and transferring them to the guaranteed banks.
I wonder if anyone canvassed the self funded retirees on Rudd’s economic credentials?
I doubt whether it’s all sunk in yet but it won’t take many more stuff-ups like this; coupled with jobs disappearing and companies going to the wall before the punters start looking at Rudd without their rose coloured glasses.
POLICE forced to run for their lives as a mob – enraged by the 2004 death in custody of Mulrunji Doomadgee – burnt down the Palm Island watchhouse, barracks and court will receive
bravery awards.
On the other side of the card, the guy charged with inciting the riots has been found guilty;
The conviction of Wotton, who faces up to life in prison when he is sentenced on November 7, is expected to be appealed and signals the end of the prosecution cases against the rioters.
Justice prevails.
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From daughter Liz (who never plays solitaire because she’s a public servant)
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POLICE have been called to investigate a film showing protester’s car being smashed by
logging contractors.
The man and woman protesters were using a “dragon” technique, in which they put their arms into a pipe running through the floor of the car and into a concrete block in the ground below.
Thus stopping the men going about their legal business, costing them money, costing the company money and impacting on family and shareholders.
I don’t know if I’d take an axe to the oxygen thieve’s car but I do understand the loggers frustration and so long as no one is seriously hurt I’d be the last person to condemn them.
The film is inconclusive in that no one can be identified and thus it could be initiated by the oxygen thieves themselves.
Nothing to see here…move along and stop giving the idiots media exposure.
I have included a link in the Left menu bar to a letter sent to John McCain by a Viscount Monkton. Locating the link on the left will keep it prominent for some time.
Dear Senator McCain, Sir,
YOU CHOSE a visit to a wind-farm in early summer 2008 to devote an entire campaign speech to the reassertion of your belief in the apocalyptic vision of catastrophic anthropogenic climate change – a lurid and fanciful account of imagined future events that was always baseless, was briefly exciting among the less thoughtful species of news commentators and politicians, but is now scientifically discredited.
With every respect, there is no rational basis for your declared intention that your great nation should inflict upon her own working people and upon the starving masses of the Third World the extravagantly-pointless, climatically-irrelevant, strategically-fatal economic wounds that the arrogant advocates of atmospheric alarmism admit they aim to achieve.
You should read it regularly, particularly after contact with any “AGW is a fact type” media.
Hat tip
Kae
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